Starting device for internal-combustion engines.



B. AMES. STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES: APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1. m5.

1,1 92,366. I Patented July 25, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

B. AMES. STAR TING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I, HHS- Patented July 25, 1916.

B. AMES.

R LNTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION mzn Fm 1915.

summd DEVICE r0 3 SHE ETb-SHEET 3.

Patented J my 25, 1916.

BUTLER AMES, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Iatent. Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed February 1, 1915. Serial No. 5,388.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BUTLER AMEs, citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell,

in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Devices for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification, ref erence being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to starting devices, as for motor trucks, and particularly to those depending upon a spark enerated by a quick turn of the armature of a magneto, resulting from manual power stored up in a starting-spring.

It may be said to reside in the connections between the spring-connected power disk and the armature shaft, for storing up power in the spring, and releasing it to rotate the armature to generatea hot enough spark to explode the charge in the cylinder and start the engine.

The various features ofthese connections may be said to be :First, a spring finger or pawl, cooperating with spring-connected driving and driven members, whereby power may be stored up in the spring and released to impart a quick rotating movement to the driving member, or an armature shaft to generate a single spark. Second, a ser es of spring fingers cooperating as above, with the result that as many soarks may be generated as there are fingers operated. Third, a connection that will secure and maintain in opposite relations at operating speeds, the driving member and the armature shaft, yet when the armature shaft is held stationary, will permit the power when applied to the driving member to move the latter in rela tion to the former. Fourth, and any other features as may hereinafter appear.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the best mode now known to me of embodying the same in operative structure, Figure 1 is a perspective view thereof; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section; Fig. l shows in section, on line M, Fig. 3, the spring-connecting coupling and driving disk; Fig. 5 is an inside elevation of the coupling member, while Fig. 6 is a like view of the driving disk; Fig. 7 is an elevation of a spring-mechanism for operat ng and controlling a finger pawl; Fig. 8 illustrates 1n section the spring lock connection between.

the coupling member and the driving disk; Figs. 913 inclusive are diagrammatic views showing various positions assumed by the finger pawl, coupling and driving disks, in stor ng up and releasing power in the connectmg driving spring operating the armature shaft.

Fixed to the armature shaft 1, Fig. 3, of a magneto is a cup-shaped driving disk 2; while freely mounted upon the said shaft is a coupling 3 having a circumferential ring 4; lying within the rim 5 of the disk 2. A flat steel coil spring 6, Figs. 3 and l, connects the disk 2 and the coupling 3, so that one may be rotated in relation to the other either against or in line with the action of the spring. To limit these relative movements, the coupling 3 has two slots 7, Fig. 5, cut in its face adjacent to that of the driving disk 2, and provided with fiber buffers 8 at their ends; and the driving disk 2, two studs, Fig. 6, diametrically opposite, to move in the slots and engage the buffers. The free end portion of the armature shaft is threaded and receives a castle-nut'lO which secures the coupling 3, yet permits it to turn freely, on the shaft. That the latter may be connected to the crank-shaft of the engine, not shown but well understood, the

coupling has its usual fin 11 forthat purose.

A bracket face-plate 13 of the magneto, and has a bearing, parallel to but above and at one side of the longitudinal axis of the armature. In this bearing is an arbor 14 which has upon its'free end portionsa pawl-member, here shown as having three radiating fingers 16, 17 and 18, ninety degrees apart; and upon the opposite end of said arbor is a rectangu lar block or hub 19, Fig. 7, the opposite sides of which lie between two flat and parallel arms 20 of a pawl-spring, whose outer end portions are adjustably joined together by a headed pin 21 and a coil spring 22 lying between the under side of the head and the adjacent spring-arm 20. The base 23 of the pawl-spring is secured tot-he face-plate 13- in such a position that the rectangular hub v 19'wil1 always tend to cause the fingers of 12 Fig. 2, forms part of the .of the In and passing through the rim 5 of the and hold the next finger 17, F 13, in posidriving disk 2, Figs. 1, and 6, are two tion on the surface of the driving member to pawl slip-channels 2i diametrically opporepeat the operation of the first pawl finger,

site, while in the same plane with these channels, but in the circumference of the coupling member 3, are two pawl or finger holes 25, Figs. 5, 9, elf seq, also diametrically opposite; all arranged so that, as will later appear in detail, a finger as 16 of the pawl may slide in the slip-channels 2%. enter the finger holes 25, and then move out of them. The normal relation of the slip-channels to the finger-holes, that is the armature shaft to the crank shaft of the engine, is clearly shown in Fig. 9, and they are so maintained by a ball spring lock 96, Fig. 8, which comprises a sleeve 2? and contains spring 28 fixed in the coupling 3, and a steel ball 29 sustained by the spring and protruding above the circumferential face of the coupling enough to engage a seat therefor in the under side of the rim 5 of the driving disk.

0 generate the desired sparks to start the engine, the first finger 16, Fi

opposite diagonal corners 30, Fig. 7, hub 19 having moved more than 45 degrees, the two arms 20 of the pawl spring exert pressure to continue the rotary movement of the pawl. The crank shaft of the engine is now manually cranked, say half a turn, its movement is communicated to the fin 11, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, to the coupling member 3, which in turn by means of the ball spring lock 26 moves the driving disk connected with the armature shaft. But during this movement, the finger 16 of the pawl, by reason of its spring arms 20 drops down into the slip-channel 2 1, Fig. 9, and upon the advancing surface of the coupling a, and comes into engagement with the end 31, Fig. 10, slip-channel, stops the movement of the driving disk 2, while the ball spring lock 26 moves out of engagement with its seat in the driving member 5, and the coupling 3 continues to move with the manually operated crank shaft; butin this movement the finger hole 25, Fig. 11, in the coupling member moves under the finger of the pawl, the end of which drops into the hole, and tends to rotate around its axis because of the pressure exerted by the power spring 6 through the end 31 of the slot in the driving member 2; the advancing side of the finger pressing against the forward side of the finger hole, while the rear face of the finger restrains the movement of the driving member. But as the latter and the coupling advance in their rotation around their common axis, the finger 16, Fig. 12, moves out of the finger hole and away from the pressing end of the slot of the driving member, the springs 20 operating on the pawl hub to move the pawl ust described, if the crank shaft continues a further movement, or if it stops, a new turn is given to it. But when the first finger, as 16, is released, the armature shaft is in proper position in relation to the poles of the magnets to generate current for ignition, and the power of the starting spring 6 snaps the driving member 2, and hence the armature, ahead with the speed and distance required; the latter being determined by the studs 9 in the driving plate engaging the buffers 8 in the ends of the slots 7 in the couplings. If the first spark generated starts the engine, thezi obviously the remaining two ngers will automatically operate and then return to normal position ready to be manually moved into position to start the engine again when required. If, however, the engine does not start on the first spark, a further cranking, as by one half a turn of the crank shaft, will cause the second finger l7 and cooperating parts to produce a second spark; if this fails, a further half turn to the crank shaft will cause a third spark; and should this third fail to start the engine, then the first finger, now assumed to be in normal position, must be manually moved down, and its spring allowed to press it against the circumferential surface of the driving member in a manner like that alrea dy pointed out. After the driving spring has spent its force and re-coiled, the ball spring lock 26, as its seat in the driving member moves over it, snaps into the seat and thus locks the coupling and driving member sufiiciently for the armature shaft and the crank shaft to bear the proper angular relations to each other for the normal generation of the current by the magneto.

Having described my invention, its best embodiment and mode of operation, and desiring to protect my invention and all of the various features thereof in the broadest manner legally possible, what I claim isi. In a generator having an armature shaft, and a driving shaft connected thereto y a spring; a coupling mounted to turn upon the armature shaft; a disk having a flanged portion overlying the circumferential surface of the coupling, there being a slot in said flange; and a cavity in the circumferential surface of the coupling; a finger whose the plane of said slot and said cavity, and which may be moved into said slot and thereby engage said disk until the finger is moved out of said cavity, thereby releasing the engagement between the finger and the disk, and permitting the power stored up in the spring, to drive the armature shaft with greater speed than that of the driving shaft, to develop the proper ignition spark.

2. In a generator having an armature shaft, and a driving shaft connected thereto by a spring; a coupling mounted to turn upon the armature shaft; a diskfixed upon the armature shaft, and having a flanged driven coupling moves its cavity so as to permit the finger to'be moved downward 1nto v and out of it to release the engagement between the finger and the armature disk, and to permit the power stored up in the spring to drive the armature shaft with greater speed than that of the driving shaft to de-' velop ,the proper ignition spark.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. BUTLER AMES. Witnesses:

CHARLES F. RICHARDSON JOHN A. MGKENNA.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 10. 

